Inside the International Step by Step Association: Quality Care and Education for All

As I was exploring the website I went to the Global Network link and found a list for the core members of the International Step by Step Association (ISSA).  It was great to see organizations on the list from countries like Albania, Croatia, Czech Republic and Slovakia.  There are a total of 29 countries represented on the list but none from the United States of America.  I found this odd since all the documents I have downloaded from the website have had at least two or three authors on the list of authors who developed the documents, such as the ISSA Pedagogical Standards Observation Form and the ISSA’s Definition of Quality Pedagogy, Competent Educators for the 21^st Century.

The Competent Educators for the 21^st Century document triggered my curiosity so I decided to explore it a little more.  There are seven focus areas in the document; 1) Interactions, 2) Family and Community, 3) Inclusion, Diversity and Values of Democracy, 4) Assessment and Planning, 5) Teaching Strategies, 6) Learning Environment, and  7) Professional Development.  The document is intended to support quality services for the children and families we serve and to encourage early educators to be agents of change in our “crucial roles of developing self-esteem and self-confidence, lifelong learning skills, the disposition for living and working with others, and respect for diversity.

The e-newsletter had a link to provide country profiles on emergency preparedness as it relates to keeping children safe.  The five countries represented were Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, and Tajikistan.  The main lesson of this work supported by UNICEF and ISSA was to support “making children an immediate priority in emergency planning and management.”    This is a 128 page document providing information on the types of emergencies each country has/can experience, the population demographics and resources to support safety during an emergency.   One factor that really stood out for me from this document is the enrollment of children in early education programs.  Moldova has the highest enrollment rate at 80% while Tajikistan has the lowest enrollment rate at 10%.  All countries address the issues of natural disasters such as floods, earthquakes and avalanches.  Bosnia and Herzegovina, Tajikistan, and Georgia addressed the emergencies associated with war.  Kyrgyzstan addressed emergencies associated with toxic and radioactive waste.

The work of the ISSA builds upon the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, including making sure all services and decisions for children are in the best interest of all children.  When the Convention of the Rights of the Child drives the work of associations and early childhood educators, the outcome will be equity and excellence for all children and families across all nations.